In my opinion and I think just from all the evidence we have seen on the subjects, the real difference between Marvel Comics and DC Comics is that in the DC multi-Universes Magic is a real power that trumps almost everything else. Marvel is more about genetics, and science, and Magic is mostly even written off as science that we have not yet the ability to understand. Very similar to what you see if you compare Star Trek to Star Wars. One is about a hope for a better future, and the other is just all out action with little thought to reality.
The biggest thing though that separates the two Universes is Warner Brothers the company. I am a fan of the way WB (the station CW, the animation, and the film companies) uses a single colour, tune or symbol to represent an entire franchise, and stays with it. I like the high quality of the animations they turn out with about four out of five of them being really good. The things they do with other franchises like Scooby Doo, Duck Dodgers, Mike Tyson Mysteries, and the new Wabbit changing things to be more modern, and ramping up the humour by adding the macro threads which people love to follow to the treasured Easter eggs all through these new shows, and movies nit least of all the DC stuff. I am always really excited by a new animation which has anything to do with DC but when they take this whole great system they have built and try to make it with live actors something is not quite meshing the way a Marvel movie does with the shows on Netflix, or ABC, or any little short that might come out on Thor, or Captain America.
However this is one of those good ones. Warner’s newest DC animated movie is an all out battle between the mighty teams of heroes. The Justice league is a lean group Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, and Cyborg (No one in or of Green at all, my guess is not to upstage Beast Boy because this really is a TT movie with the JL for validation). For the Teen Titans we have Some changes to the line up. The current iteration of Robin who we have seen in recent WB movies as the recent Batman: Bad Blood or Batman vs. Robin from 2014 (Son of Bruce Wayne, and Grandson of Ra’s al Ghul) not the Dick Grayson Robin from before. Stargirl has grown up, her powerful light beams and her innocent need to help everyone works better as an older mother figure type. The mysterious Raven is mostly the same lost girl from the previous TT series, though without Stargirl being her age it takes the barrier from between her and Robin (The whole Betty and Veronica thing is gone). Beast Boy who can shape change into any animal including something new, which seems to be from being in a new environment than ever before, nit to spoil too much. Missing from this line up Speedy and (again green) Miss Martian. At this point any real TT fan will be asking why Cyborg is with the JL, and not the TT’s. It is simply because this is where things stand in the other JL or DC Universe stories now Cyborg moved to the big league a few movies back. Don’t worry he does seem to prefer hanging out with the TT’s still, like a big kid (Especially around meal times).
Now there is a darkness which enters the lives of all of our heroes out of Ravens past. A magical force sending out demonic shadows that can enter, and then take control of anyone. This is a well played twist, and building the story around Raven is quite smart. Not a new story though it is Ravens origin tale a bit modernized. Magic is more powerful than any of the major players so this is the sort of job the Teen Titans are just right for. A number of well directed battles and not a lot of the strange unexplainable mistakes like say the Flash saying that someone got away because they went around a corner.
Side bar -That just burns me. It makes sense to have the villains escape on the cost side (Royalties for each character used, and more actors to pay), but for a story you really should see them capture the baddies, or all out lose to them before they can face them again. Losing then makes sense and gives reason for a new training montage. But if you catch them they stay caught because we all know there are a lot more villains on the DC list of villains that they could go to but for cost cutting reasons they most often let the villains get away while I scream at the screen How and Why.
Anyhow back to this movie. The action scenes are great, the lasers, and projectiles are flying everywhere, and in true DC (Damage Collateral) style the cities get really wrecked. The animation really is the best that there is in western animation today, and the redesign of most of the costumes to be more in tune with the look of the Batman V Superman movie and the hand full of DC Television shows out now really makes the whole aesthetic look and feel just right. The music was as you’d expect, they got the sense of Hannah Montana and friends at the pier, and some Dance Dance battling to keep things Uh.. fresh, and during the battles the music ramped up well, and balanced the action as thought they had planned it that way.
Where everything comes together though is the voice talents. We are given as a gift Rosario Dawson as Diana Prince or Wonder Woman, Christopher Gorham from Jake 2.0 as Barry Allen or Flash. Shemar Moore who recently left Criminal Minds plays Victor Stone or Cyborg. Jerry O’Connell From Sliders and plenty of things as Clark Kent or Superman, Jason O’Mara who has been doing this a while as Bruce Wayne or Batman, Stuart Allan returns for the fourth time as Damian Wayne or Robin. Jake T. Austin from Wizards of Waverly Place as Jaime Reyes or Blue Beetle. Taissa Farmiga you may remember from American Horror Story: Murder House as Rachel Roth or Raven. Sean Maher as Dick Grayson or Nightwing, Brandon Soo Hoo from From Dusk till Dawn: The Series as Garfield Logan or Beast Boy. The great and powerful Kari Wahlgren brings her vast experience as Koriand’r or Starfire and a random Teenage Girl. Jon Bernthal who you may have just seen as Punisher in the new season of Marvel’s Daredevil on Netflix, from Walking Dead as Trigon the Demon. Laura Bailey who voices characters in many of today’s video games and animations is Angela Chen. Steven Blum known for his voiceover work in Games, and animations plays as Lex Luthor. Terrence C. Carson who is nown for being the voice of Kratos in the God of War games is the ghost of Ra’s al Ghul. Rounding out the main cast is the extremely versatile Rick D. Wasserman who provides voices for Weather Wizard, Solomon Grundy, and Atomic Skull.
To sum up. I mentioned that one in five of these WB animations is a complete failure. They have to be applauded for taking those risks though because no one else can today. In Justice League Vs. Teen Titans we get a great action movie with lots of very well drawn heroes, and locations. Anyone coming into this as their first DC animation should be happy with the amount of backstory, but someone who is fourty movies into this will also find that same backstory is not too much that it just feels like a clip show. The choice of characters in the story are good though very limited. The music is completely passable. I think most importantly you shouldn’t feel talked down to (The biggest busts with these movies are when they aim the age bar way too low). The pacing was good, and there was even a nice little Superman Wonder Woman romance fit in there.
Good solid animated action movie that gives it’s self a lot of rope to play with. (but no hanging) My only real critique is that the story is not new it has just been updated with new players.
But all that is just my opinion. What we would love is to hear what you think. Please give us your ratings on the movie, or feel free to comment on what you’ve read or how the movie made you feel. We would all love to hear from you.
